Multi-Physics Simulations of a 1.2 kV Embedded SiC Prepackage
Embedding represents a game-changing packaging strategy for wide-bandgap semiconductors, slashing parasitic impedances to enable faster, cleaner switching, lower losses, and higher frequencies. Yet questions about reliability, scalability, and heat management persist. Here, we use multiphysics finite-element simulations to explore an embedded half-bridge of two 1.2 kV SiC MOSFETs across a range of commercial insulated substrates - alumina, Si <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$_{3}$</tex-math></inline-formula> N<inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$_{4}$</tex-math></inline-formula>, AlN, and IMS with varying layer thicknesses. A Pareto-based thermomechanical optimization pinpoints aluminum nitride as the best configuration, delivering 0.27K/W thermal resistance, 0.2 % plastic strain, and 1.9 % creep strain during sintering. Creep concentrates in the silver sinter layer, matching experimental observations, underscoring the need to address time-dependent deformation in reliability assessments. A major improvement is achieved by redesigning the top copper interconnect from a solid block to a pillar like geometry, which reduces creep strain in the sintered layer by four times. We also identify a critical sintering cool-down rate above which creep vanishes and only plastic strain remains providing a new lever for process control. Finally, we demonstrate scalability by paralleling four optimized prepackages into a power module with just 3 nH of stray inductance, ready for high-frequency, high-efficiency conversion.
Authors
- Till Huesgen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5726-1218)
- Klaus Neumaier
- Giovanni A. Salvatore (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8983-3257)
- Ankit Sharma (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7256-5500)
- Andrea Irace (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1400-8380)
- Saimir Frroku (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-0361-0671)
- Pierfrancesco Fadini
Institutions
- ON Semiconductor (United States) (US)
- Ca' Foscari University of Venice (IT)
- Kempten University of Applied Sciences (DE)
- Federico II University Hospital (IT)
- University of Naples Federico II (IT)
Publication Details
- Journal
- IEEE Open Journal of Power Electronics
- Published
- 2025-01-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1109/ojpel.2025.3628056
- Primary Topic
- Silicon Carbide Semiconductor Technologies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00